Posts from — January 2007

Camcorders have become a powerful way to express oneself. You can tell your own story and post it on YouTube. Or you can record things from your point of view. And you could use this footage to prove the existence of injustice in the world. Political protesters have used film & video to get their voices heard (see Guerrilla TV).

Some groups, such as PETA, have political protests or events. They record these events with camcorders so they have a document of others who agree with their cause shown simply by their attendance of the event. Or sometimes they stage confrontations with important individuals where they shove a PV GS500 in someone’s face demanding an answer. Some organizations also record educational videos to distribute along with pamphlets. The animal cruelty videos are very popular way for PETA to explain their beliefs to people. They use the media to distribute their messages whether in video, word, or in photographs.

The camcorder can be an inexpensive way to increase a political group’s exposure & better help them translate their message. Moving images are another form of communication. The first amendment extends to video, thus anyone can use a camcorder to relay his/her message. All they need is the desire and the funds to buy a camera. And with camcorders being so inexpensive, they are now a viable option for individuals to use to express one’s politics. They can display their own beliefs in a more persuasive manner using video.

At concerts lately, I’ve been seeing so many digital cameras. Whether it’s a cell phone camera or a Cybershot, taking your own concert pictures is a new trend. Venues have become much more lax on cameras since most people own camera phones. It’s such a hassle to go back to the car to put it up. I know from experience. So I used to not even bother bringing one up until a few years ago. Now, I’d say 20-30% of the crowd are always lifting up their arms to grab photos.

I haven’t seen that many camcorders, except the ones held by special sanctioned photographers. I have seen a video cam set up to broadcast the concert on the internet. Some venues even provide the artist with the equipment to record their set. It’s like a perk of playing at their space. A venue can find a panasonic digital camcorder lowest price somewhere. Then, hire maybe one extra person to shoot the music performance. Then, that same person could also upload the content on the venue’s website. It’s like dual advertising for both the venue and the band. And if they wanted to go a step further, they could provide an interactive section of the site to allow members to view or even download the content. That would build loyalty to the venue and be an extra bonus for a die-hard fan of the musician.

Other musical groups bring their own crew. They just give a camcorder to a friend to record their performance. They can use it to make a music dvd or video later. Or they could use it to learn what they need to work on in their live shows. I even heard of a band who videotaped themselves during a song. The song was really slow with the instrumentation broken up, so in some parts the drummer could man the camera for a minute. And then, the guitarist would take over. And they used a camcorder to do the whole thing since it was easy to pass around. Pretty creative stuff can be done with a little camcorder.

The invention of the camcorder has decreased the use of still photographs. When you take a trip, instead of a disposable 35mm camera, you can take digital camcorder. No running to Wal-Mart or what have you to develop pictures. You already have the finished product in the palm of your hand with a miniDV tape or DVD disc.

If I went to Paris, I would love to film the atmosphere with a camcorder. You keep an auditory and visual sensory memory with a camcorder. And now with a dvd camcorder, a consumer can record entire chapters of memories instead of creating a photo album. You could even keep a travel video journal. And with a camcorder, you can still capture digital stills if you prefer.

Still photography is still used. I love using a manual 35mm when I have a specific project in mind. There are still plenty of still photographers working today. And movie sets still need promotional photographs etc. It seems that the still camera has just become less popular with the travel & family user. It’s more appealing to the consumer to use a camcorder and capture the entire experience instead of just snapshots. And think of all the beautiful art photography, it’s not going away just because of the widespread use of camcorders. People will continue to work in the format of their choices. There’s just tons of choices today.

There have always been video cameras, which were used on television. But in the 1980s, they developed a more portable version of a video camera - the camcorder. However, the very first portable camcorder was nothing like the digital camcorders of today. They had a VCR attached to it, so you had to operate a camera and record on an external VCR simultaneously. Sounds crazy, huh? Well, professional cameramen weren’t too thrilled about this new invention either.

Eventually, they combined the two and created the BETACAM. Sony, one of today’s leading camcorder manufacturers, developed the first professional camcorder. They also created the BETAMOVIE, which was for domestic use.

Camcorders graduated from VHS & 8mm tapes to miniDV & HDV. It is strange to think that cameramen had to set-up a VCR to capture images with a camcorder. I’d see why they might prefer to just use film, if it was gonna be such a hassle. Most betacams had to be propped on your shoulder, plus they cost at least $1500. Today, a consumer can buy a compact camcorder for as little as $300. Its technology and size has advanced in only a short time span. The cameramen of the eighties deserve our respect for putting up with such bulky technology. We’re lucky to be living in such technologically advanced times where an average person could buy and operate a camcorder without much difficulty.

Tons of television programs have web-only video content. You can watch outtakes, behind-the-scenes segments, and other specials online. They also offer sneak peaks at upcoming episodes. So if you’re really hooked on a show, you can check out the online preview or on F/X you can see the first five minutes of an episode.

Other shows, even show content that was too mature or didn’t make the cut online. Since the internet is about freedom of speech, you can get away with more risque jokes and content. All they have to do is have an intersitial page where you declare you’re over 18.

Other shows even premiere content on the web before it broadcasts. Check out this quick little skit from Best Week Ever.

It’s so simple and connects to current events. And it was probably done with sony camcorders and a few post-production editing tricks. They had to add in some logos and embed the television footage in the background. I seriously doubt they edited this skit for very long. And they even stole footage from “Insider”. I think the cheap production values work for tone of the show.

With simple web content, companies can market their shows with little monetary investment. It’s basically interactive media marketing. You can use a camcorder and quickly produce quick segments to garner more interest in your show. It’s definitely a growing phenomenon. And in some cases, companies even hire outside production companies or talent to generate web-only content. Creativity is key with this type of marketing since their are so many choices on the internet. You have to grab people who are already interested in your show or make your web-content so good that they would become a fan of the show.